RIP

"Tarzan" star Ron Ely is blaming the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department for his wife and son's deaths ... claiming deputies didn't attempt to save their lives and neglected his wife after she was stabbed and he was shot.

The Ely family deaths occurred in a bizarre and violent manner on October 15, 2019 -- Ron's son, Cameron, stabbed Ron's wife, Valerie, in the family's home. Deputies responded, but in a new lawsuit, Ron claims deputies on scene did not call for medical personnel to help Valerie.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Ron claims he requested emergency services after Valerie suffered stab wounds to her chest and lung. He claims several deputies showed up to the scene around 8:15 PM, but failed to check if Valerie was still alive.

Ron also claims deputies obstructed fire department medical personnel from entering the home to provide treatment. In all, he claims Valerie went without treatment for 30 minutes ... and was pronounced dead at 8:42 PM.

As for Cameron's death ... Ron claims his son was unarmed on their property later that night when deputies found him. According to the suit, Cameron was unarmed and had his hands up when the cops opened fire, hitting Cameron 22 times. Ron claims Cameron also went without medical assistance for at least 13 minutes, and was left to die in the driveway.

As we reported ... cops had said Cameron posed a threat when they found him, and as a result, 4 deputies opened fire. Ron insists Cameron didn't pose any threat.

He's suing the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department and the city of Santa Barbara for wrongful death and unspecified damages.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron now admits he never recommended the grand jury indict either of the 2 officers for shooting and killing Breonna Taylor.

Instead, Cameron says the case he presented to the grand jury is that the officers were fully justified in firing their weapons because Breonna's boyfriend had fired first at them. Cameron revealed some of his strategy in an interview with WDRB in Louisville ... saying, "Our recommendation is that [officers] Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove were justified in their acts and their conduct."

Cameron also said he told the grand jury that the single witness who says he heard the police announce themselves before the raid ... changed his story. WDRB did not ask Cameron if he also told the grand jury that 12 other witnesses said they did NOT hear the police announce themselves -- and that's a huge point.

If the police didn't identify themselves ... Kenneth Walker, Breonna's boyfriend, would be justified in firing his legally owned firearm at people he believed to be intruders in her apartment.

One other thing ... Cameron said nothing about recommending a manslaughter charge to the grand jury. He says wanton endangerment was the only thing he felt he could prove beyond a reasonable doubt. However, police allegedly didn't provide medical assistance to Breonna for 20 minutes ... which would seem to put manslaughter -- legally defined as reckless disregard for human life -- on the table.

Ryan Dorsey's struggling to help his son adjust to life without his mother, Naya Rivera ... and 2 months after her death the stress and some hateful rumors are taking a toll on him.

He says he can't sleep, has lost 20 pounds and wakes up immensely sad at the thought of his son growing up without a mother in his life ... all while dealing with hatred and death wishes upon them.

Ryan poured his heart out in a 12-minute video about Naya's death ... and about people on social media sending "terrible messages wishing death upon strangers they truly know next to zero about."

He says explaining the loss of Naya to Josey is the hardest part -- "You tell him she's an angel now and she’s with God and she’s in heaven, and he says 'I wanna go there. How do I get there?' I wouldn’t wish that upon any of your ears to have to hear that. To hear those words come out of the sweetest soul you know."

Ryan also addressed "ill-advised, illogical, misinformed tabloid" rumors that he and Naya's sister, Nickayla, are in a relationship ... explaining she's been a rock for Josey, who calls her Titi. He says Josey wants his Titi "to live with us forever" because she's now the closest thing he has to a mom."

Ryan says he was at Target with Nickayla looking to buy some items for Josey's birthday party when 2 girls followed them taking pictures. He called out the girls and several tabloids for "creating a false narrative based on an angle of a photo of 2 people grieving who have been living their life out of suitcases, and just trying to get settled into a new place."

Nickayla also took to Instagram to clear the air about the nature of her relationship with her ex-brother-in-law ... saying she's not concerned with the way things look "because no one can see each agonizing moment we all endure." She added, "What matters most I've learned is to show compassion, not to judge others, & never take a moment of life for granted."

Mac Davis -- best known as a '70s country music sensation and for writing hits for Elvis Presley -- has died following heart surgery ... TMZ has confirmed.

Davis died Tuesday at a hospital in Nashville ... according to his manager, Jim Morey. Earlier this week, the singer became critically ill after undergoing surgery and sadly was unable to recover. "He was surrounded by the love of his life and wife of 38 years, Lise, and his sons Scott, Noah and Cody," Morey wrote on Facebook.

After news of Mac's health broke, he received an outpouring of love from country stars like Dolly Parton and others asking for prayers and support.

The Texas native got his big break in the late '60s as a songwriter when Elvis recorded his works, "Memories," "Don't Cry Daddy," "In the Ghetto" and "A Little Less Conversation" ... all of which became hits for The King.

Mac also wrote for a handful of other acts -- like Kenny Rogers & the First Edition -- before launching a solo career in the '70s ... kicked off with his Grammy-nominated hit "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me."

Though the song was a success on both the country and pop charts, Mac made a name for himself as a country singer when he was crowned the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year in 1974.

His other hits include "Stop and Smell the Roses," "One Hell of a Woman" and the 1980 novelty song, "It's Hard to be Humble."

On top of his music career, Davis also starred on his own TV variety show from 1974-76 and made his big-screen debut in the 1979 football film, "North Dallas Forty," alongside Nick Nolte.

He also hosted an episode of "The Muppet Show" and starred in "The Sting II" in the '80s, and went to appear in numerous TV and film projects over the next 3 decades.

He's been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Mac is survived by his wife, Lise Gerard, and 3 children.

He was 78.

Helen Reddy, the woman who sang the song that became the anthem of the women's rights movement has died.

Reddy's family said the Australian singer died Tuesday, though they did not disclose the cause.

Ready's song, "I Am Woman" ... not only shot to the top of the charts in the 70's, but with its lyrics -- "I am woman, hear me roar ..." -- became an inspiration to this day. It has been used in marches, on TV and, frankly, just by ordinary folk who love the song. Reddy won a grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

She had another #1 hit with "Delta Dawn." She followed that up with yet another hit, "Angie Baby."

It's kind of remarkable that Reddy and Ruth Bader Ginsburg died within days of each other. RBG was a leader in the women's movement, and Reddy contributed the vocals.

By the way, "I am Woman" was not an instant anthem, but gained popularity over time and eventually charted at #1. When Reddy accepted the Grammy, she thanked "God because she makes everything possible."

Reddy went on to appear in various TV shows and movies. She even starred in her own TV show, "The Helen Reddy Show."

Reddy was diagnosed with dementia in 2015.

Her family said, "It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Helen Reddy, on the afternoon of September 29th, 2020 in Los Angeles. She was a wonderful Mother, Grandmother and a truly formidable woman. Our hearts are broken. But we take comfort in the knowledge her voice will live on forever."

The governor of California has signed a new "Kobe Bryant Law" -- which makes it a crime for first responders to take unauthorized pictures of a dead person at an accident scene.

The measure -- which takes effect on January 1st -- was triggered by the aftermath of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash ... when 8 local deputies were accused of taking or sharing death pics for unofficial business.

In fact, at least one deputy was accused of using a Kobe death photo to try and pick up a woman at a bar.

But, on Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill which will make it a misdemeanor for a first responder to take or share pics from an accident or crime scene for any purpose outside official law enforcement or genuine public interest.

Kobe's widow, Vanessa Bryant, has already filed a lawsuit against the L.A. County Sheriff's Office over the alleged accident photo scandal. She's suing for negligence, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron has at least one pissed off grand juror on his hands in the Breonna Taylor case ... and that person is demanding the right to talk about the proceedings.

The anonymous grand juror filed a motion Monday with the Jefferson County Circuit Court asking a judge to lift the gag order for any grand jurors who want to go public -- because this juror feels like Cameron hung them out to dry when he announced the indictment of ex-cop Brett Hankison.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the grand juror says Cameron repeatedly told the media "the grand jury alone made the decision on who and what to charge based solely on the evidence presented to them." As you know Hankison and the 2 other cops involved were not charged with shooting and killing Breonna. Instead, Hankison was the only indicted for firing his weapon into an apartment neighboring Breonna's.

That decision has sparked days of protest across the country, and it's clear this grand juror feels Cameron is ducking his responsibility. As he or she says in the docs, "It is patently unjust for the jurors to be subjected to the level of accountability the Attorney General campaigned for simply because they received a summons to serve their community."

Translation: You ran for this Office, Daniel Cameron, so you should feel the heat.

Although the grand juror was not specific, it sure appears they have some gripes over the way the proceedings went down. It would be really interesting to know if the grand jury heard from all 12 apartment residents who said the police did NOT identify themselves before breaking down Breonna's door. If the grand jury didn't hear from them, it would be interesting to know if that information would have prompted this grand juror to vote to indict the cops who shot Breonna.

Grand jury proceedings are always kept under wraps, so this juror's request is highly unusual.

But, as they say in the docs ... "Using the grand jurors as a shield to deflect accountability and responsibility for these decisions only sows more seeds of doubt in the process while leaving a cold chill down the spines of future grand jurors."

A Texas Sheriff featured on "Live PD" is now facing charges of evidence tampering -- he's accused of deleting video of cops chasing a Black man who died in custody.

Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody was indicted Monday by a grand jury ... and turned himself in to the county jail, which he also oversees.

Williamson County D.A. Shawn Dick and Travis County D.A. Margaret Moore launched a joint investigation back in June after body cam footage, obtained by KVUE-TV, showed Javier Ambler's fatal interaction with police. "Live PD" reportedly destroyed footage of the deadly chase.

Jason Nassour, the former Williamson County general counsel who was also at the scene of Ambler's March 2019 death, was also indicted on a felony charge of evidence tampering.

The indictments came down after weeks of grand jury investigation, including testimony from sheriff's deputies who were at the scene when Ambler died.

Prosecutors say they can't share what they've learned about Sheriff Chody's role in destroying footage -- it's an ongoing case.

Ambler died after Sheriff's deputies Zach Camden and J.J. Johnson pursued him for 22 minutes in a chase that started when Ambler didn't dim his headlights.

During the pursuit, Ambler's car crashed multiple times before coming to a stop in a North Austin neighborhood. Cops used tasers 4 times on him as he struggled for air, screaming about a heart condition and saying he couldn't breathe. Minutes later he died.

"Live PD" crews followed the deputies and cameras were rolling during the encounter, and there's police body camera footage. Prosecutors say the "Live PD" video likely showed the clearest perspective of the deadly incident.

The A&E reality show was scrapped just days after the Austin Statesman reported the Ambler footage was destroyed. That decision came during the height of nationwide protests against police brutality in the wake of George Floyd's death.

The contract between "Live PD" and Williamson County reportedly allowed the show to destroy unaired footage within 30 days, unless it was required to be retained by a court order or other state or federal law.

Former "Live PD" host Dan Abrams claimed on his website, sheriff's officials asked producers to save the video initially. Abrams says 2 months after Ambler's death, Sheriff Chody told producers the investigation was over and producers destroyed the footage.

Brett Hankison -- the lone Louisville cop charged in connection with the Breonna Taylor case -- has just entered his plea in court ... not guilty.

Hankison appeared by audio conference call Monday to enter his plea during his arraignment for wanton endangerment. Remember, the grand jury did not indict him for shooting and killing Breonna ... the charges are for shooting into her neighbor's apartment.

The now-fired officer -- indicted on 3 counts of wanton endangerment in the first degree -- was later booked and released from the Shelby County Detention Center after paying $15k bail. Wanton endangerment carries a maximum penalty of 5 years if convicted.

As part of his bond conditions ... Hankison must surrender his weapons. His lawyer argued for him to keep them for self-defense since he's an ex-cop who lives outside the city and claimed he has gotten threats ... but the judge denied the request.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said Hankison fired 10 rounds from outside, which went everywhere ... including into the neighboring unit.

Remember ... Cameron said after the officers received no response at the door on the night of the raid, they entered. Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly was the first one in, and apparently saw Breonna and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, standing at the end of the hall. He claims Walker was in a shooting stance with a gun in hand, and that he fired at Mattingly first, who was struck in the thigh.

Cameron says Mattingly returned fire -- shooting six times -- while another officer behind him, Myles Cosgrove, also returned fire ... unloading 16 rounds. Cameron stressed there wasn't conclusive evidence that any of Hankison's bullets hit Breonna -- it was only Mattingly and Cosgrove's ammo, and because of that, he couldn't look into any criminality around her death. He says Mattingly and Cosgrove were authorized and justified in their use of force, under Kentucky law.

The family of Coliesa McMillian -- who appeared on Season 8 of "My 600-lb. Life" -- was thankfully allowed to see her in the hospital before she died ... something they feared would not be possible due to COVID restrictions.

Coliesa passed away Tuesday at a hospital in Louisiana, but her mother, Sadie Courville, tells TMZ she'd been at the Baton Rouge facility for quite a while ... and they hadn't been able to visit her due to pandemic rules.

She says the hospital made an exception when it was clear Coliesa was on her deathbed, allowing her and Coliesa's 2 teenage daughters in to say their final goodbyes.

Sadie says she patted Coliesa's arm while her girls cried and held her hand.

According to Coliesa's mom ... the family doesn't know the exact cause of death, but she says her health went downhill after she underwent weight loss surgery and sadly, she never recovered.

A rep for the East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office tells us ... a review of Coliesa's medical records shows she died of natural causes due to complications from that surgery months ago.

The decision not to charge the cops who killed Breonna Taylor has taken its toll on an untold number of Louisville residents, who are having a hard time coping.

We've learned there's been an increase in the number of Louisville residents seeking mental health help and are citing Breonna's case as the reason.

Joe Nalley, CEO of Kentucky Mental Health Care, tells TMZ ... the day after the announcement they saw 30 new clients, and a third of them cited Breonna not getting justice as the reason.

Millicent Cahoon, founder of Therapists for Protester Wellness, tells us their crisis hotline -- an emergency call line that provides people with psychological help -- has been ringing off the hook since the announcement ... and they've needed 10 therapists minimum on the line to handle the volume.

The organization has also set up booths offering free mental health services to protesters.

Tiffany Farmer, owner Best Life Mental Health Services in Louisville, tells TMZ ... she got 5 referrals for new clients the morning after the decision, directly in response to Breonna's case.

At Kentucky Mental Health Care, we're told 90% of clients are bringing up Breonna with their therapists, mostly saying any hope of justice is gone. There's also been a spike in prescriptions for anti-anxiety medication, including 17 new requests in a single day instead of the normal 4 or 5 Rx's.

Meanwhile, at Best Life Mental Health Services, we're told at least 70% of clients are frequently discussing Breonna in therapy and are seeking help processing what just happened.

The best you can call this is bad taste, and the worst is despicable because a Republican group decided to jack the moniker of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- The Notorious R.B.G. -- by instantly printing shirts supporting Judge Amy Coney Barrett with the words "Notorious A.C.B." emblazoned on them.

The shirts are courtesy of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) ... a group that raises cash to elect Republicans to the Senate.

The org tweeted a photo of Barrett with the Biggie Smalls crown.

Barrett praised RBG when she spoke Saturday after being nominated by Donald Trump -- she called her "a woman of enormous talent" -- so we're guessing she had nothing to do with the shirt. But seriously ... to riff on something that became part of the public adoration for the late Justice -- it's just wrong.

Some Dems were outraged. California Governor Gavin Newsom said, "This makes me sick to my stomach."

The NRSC is selling the "limited edition" t-shirt for a minimum donation of $25.

President Trump just officially tapped his pick for the next Supreme Court justice to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg ... Judge Amy Coney Barrett.

The Prez nominated the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals judge Saturday, just over a week after RBG passed away from cancer. Barrett, a Trump appointee to the Circuit Court, was a Notre Dame law professor. He dished out her bona fides and respectable resume while naming her as his nominee, while also calling on the Senate to do their duty.

Barrett began her remarks by praising the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg for her laudatory and consequential life. She noted RBG smashed many glass ceilings.  And, she had words about her mentor -- the late Justice Antonin Scalia -- and how he helped shape her vision of the law and how he taught her about collegiality even with people who are polar opposites.

Barrett said she'd learned a lot from Scalia and promised -- if confirmed -- to uphold the letter of the law as written, without any personal bias or otherwise. She also thanked her husband and her 7 kids, all of whom eventually came up on stage to pose for a photo op with the First Family.

Some more background on Barrett ... she is a die-hard conservative justice, who is a deeply religious, practicing Catholic. She's opposed to abortion, but has said she thinks Roe vs. Wade is more likely to be reimagined than overruled. In common parlance, reimagined means whittling away at the precedent.

Trump urged the public and the media to refrain from personal or partisan attacks against Judge Barrett, with a nod to how nasty and contentious Justice Kavanaugh's confirmation was. Trump went on to praise Justice Ginsburg, and explained why Barrett was the best choice to replace her.

If she's confirmed by the Senate -- which is highly likely -- the Supreme Court will have a solid 6-3 majority. The stakes are enormous, with abortion rights, health care, LGBTQ rights and voting rights on the chopping block.

Barrett has long been considered for a Supreme Court seat with Trump in office ... she was on the shortlist to replace Anthony Kennedy when he retired in 2018, a seat that is now occupied by Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

It's interesting ... when Trump filled Kennedy's seat, he reportedly informed advisors he was "saving" Barrett just in case RBG left SCOTUS during his presidency.

Barrett graduated from Notre Dame School of Law. She was in private practice before becoming a law professor at George Washington University and then Notre Dame.

Barrett has been serving on the Chicago-based 7th Circuit Court of Appeals since 2017. She's ruled on a pair of abortion-related cases, both times in favor of restrictions on access to abortion.

One key issue she's made herself perfectly clear on is the Affordable Care Act, arguing the birth control mandate is unconstitutional and the ACA overall is an overreach and abuse of Congressional power.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg's longtime trainer said goodbye to the late Supreme Court Justice with an ode to their notorious workouts ... doing push-ups in front of her casket.

Bryant Johnson dropped down and gave RBG 3 push-ups as he paid his respects before her casket Friday, which is lying in state in the U.S. Capitol.

It was a powerful moment ... and Bryant said farewell by doing the exercise in a full suit, though he made it look easy. It's not.

As you know ... Ruth was famous for her rigorous workout routine, which helped keep her working on SCOTUS until she was 87. RBG even invited Stephen Colbert to D.C. to show him how she kept fit in the gym, and Bryant was right by her side during the 'Late Show' segment.

Breonna Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, says the death of her daughter has indeed made her an angry Black woman … incredibly angry because Black people -- men, women and children -- keep dying at the hands of police and getting away with it.

Tamika’s powerful message following a grand jury's decision to not charge any of the cops for fatally shooting Breonna was delivered by Breonna’s aunt, Bianca Austin.

According to Tamika … she never had faith in Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron, and claims she felt from the get-go he lacked proper experience and had "already chosen to be on the wrong side of the law."

Breonna’s mom says Wednesday’s grand jury results solidified her belief that the legal system and law enforcement in America are designed to not protect Black people or give them justice … and the whole system failed her daughter.

Tamika makes it clear though — this has not defeated her, and she will continue to fight for her daughter. She says the system robbed the world of a queen … but she’s certain they will remember her and continue to say her name.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump opened the press conference with a fiery speech calling out AG Cameron and all the apparent discrepancies between the evidence he presented to the grand jury and evidence that’s been widely reported.

This led to a very public call for Cameron to release the grand jury transcripts, and Crump’s co-counsel, Lonita Baker, echoed that demand and took it a step further … by questioning whether the grand jury actually decided not to charge the officers who fatally shot Breonna, or if Cameron made the call himself.

Other speakers included Tamika Mallory from Until Freedom, and Jacob Blake’s father … who traveled from Kenosha, where his son is still recovering from being shot in the back by a cop.

Freshly out of jail after being arrested while protesting Thursday night, Kentucky State Rep. Attica Scott also said a few words. She’s known as the sponsor of “Breonna’s Law,” which helped put an end to “no-knock” warrants in the state in wake of her killing.

This was the first public appearance by Breonna's family together since it was announced only one of the 3 cops involved in her case was being charged ... and NOT for killing her.

As we reported ... on Thursday, the grand jury indicted now ex-officer, Brett Hankison, on charges of wanton endangerment. Hankison was not charged for the shooting of Breonna, but for firing his weapon into Breonna's neighbor's apartment.

The incident has sparked outrage across the country in the form of protests and angry words from celebs, athletes and politicians.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg is making history one final time -- she's now become the first woman to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol.

RGB's casket arrived Friday morning for a memorial service at Statuary Hall attended by Presidential candidate Joe Biden, Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other dignitaries.

A military honor guard carried RGB's casket into the Capitol and then Statuary Hall. For perspective, only about 30 Americans -- including 12 U.S. Presidents -- have lain in state at the Capitol since 1852, all men.

It should be noted ... Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks was given a lying in honor tribute at Statuary Hall in 2005, and the Rev. Bill Graham got the same honor in 2018. But, RGB becomes the first woman -- and the first Jewish person -- to receive this honor. It marks the close of 3 days of memorials.

As we reported, President Trump paid respects Thursday while she lied in repose at the Supreme Court, but was greeted with boos and chants of "vote him out". Neither Trump nor Vice President Mike Pence attended Friday's ceremony.